The Beast and His Beauty
by DestinysKiss
Summary: {Complete} In a dark world, a beast from the earth has all but destroyed the moon kingdom. Leaving Queen Serenity to make a treaty with the tyrant, her only daughter for his mercy. Will Serena live as a slave forever? Or is the beast more then he seams.
1. The Price of Peace

Disclaimer for all chapters: I don't own any of these characters.  
  
A.N.  
  
This is the "R" version of my other fic: 'Beauty and the Beast'. The first two chapters might be the same, however the rest of the fic will be different. Promise.  
  
I hope that you give it a go, who knows, you might be moderately entertained for a little while. ^_~  
  
Thanks for reading, and on with the story.  
  
xxx Destiny xxx . . . . . . . .  
  
In the cold shadows of the night, a caped man silently awaited a messenger. In the sky above him there was a full moon, it had long since lost is magical silvery glow, and had now been replaced by an eerie red colour. The blood of its people had stained its surface. He smiled as its crimson glow fell coldly upon his face.  
  
"Your Highness." A raspy voice came from out of the darkness.  
  
The man in the cape turned around. "Show yourself!" He demanded, and drew his steel blade. The sword came out swiftly and glistened under the scarlet moonlight.  
  
"I mean you no harm, your Highness. It is I, your faithful messenger, loyal to you always." The messenger sounded sick, sick in the mind more then his body.  
  
"Speak." The man demanded, sheathing his blade.  
  
"The queen. The queen, she is expecting an attack tomorrow night. There was a spy, a spy told her." The messenger stuttered, trying to get the words out.  
  
"A spy!" He bellowed. "Who! Who dares to undermine me?"  
  
"I do not know, your Highness, your grace. I am just your faithful messenger. I know nothing, nothing like you do, your magnificence. But I know that she will come to you, tomorrow. She sends word from her land, her voice travels along the air, it calls in the night, master. A call from the white kingdom, she wants to stop the bloodshed." The messenger looked up, his beady eyes shone in the bloody light. "She will come for you at noon, to make a treaty."  
  
"No!" The man yelled, a string of angry spit flew out of his mouth. "Go to her now, and tell her to give me what I want. Tell her that she will meet my demands, or her world will be destroyed!"  
  
"What are your demands? Master, oh highness, your wonderfu..."  
  
"Shut your trap!" He demanded and swung his sword at the grovelling messenger. Its icy blade stopped at his neck, the cold steel pressed against his skin. "It is not your concern, she knows my demands. She has known them for well over half a decade! Now go!" He released to blade and watched the messenger scurry away.  
  
"Tomorrow," he whispered to the moonlight. "By tomorrow evening, I will get what I have been craving for all of these long and lonely years. Else tomorrow evening, everything you love will be destroyed."  
  
` ` ` ` ` Meanwhile: In the White Moon Palace. ` ` ` A beautiful queen sat on her throne. Her silvery hair fell around her face, almost looking scruffy. She looked out the window, daydreaming with her big blue eyes. They were eyes that had seen too much pain, too much suffering. Eyes that reflected the sadness in her heart. The war had lasted over five years. She had watched the fall of her people, fighting for something that they didn't know. Now, only few survivors were left and the next attack would see the end of her kingdom. Her once peaceful moon had been stained with the blood of her people, its eerie glow reflected her defeat. And now the Prince of the Earth was about to finish off what he started many moons ago.  
  
A cool breeze blew in from the window, blowing a silvery tear off of her china face. A girl walked into the room, blonde hair, blue eyes, as beautiful as the first dawn.  
  
"Mother." The girl spoke in an angelic voice. "Mother, you are dreaming again."  
  
Queen Serenity snapped out of her trance. "Sorry my dear. I have just a lot on my mind these days." The girl walked up to her mother and put her hand on her face.  
  
"You have been crying," She wiped away the silver trails. "Do not worry, Mother. Never forget that we are the good in this war. You have done what is best for us all. No matter what happens, you must never forget that."  
  
Serenity looked at her daughter, love shining through her weary eyes. "Oh Serena, war is never best for anyone."  
  
"But if you didn't, he would have taken your throne and destroyed you. The people love you, they would rather die in battle then to be servants to a tyrant like him."  
  
A lump rose in Serenity's throat, she could feel more tears coming on, but for the sake of her daughter she held them back.  
  
For a moment, they embraced each other before a loud shout was heard from outside. "Queen Serenity!" A guard called from the corridor. "The dark Prince sends word. A messenger."  
  
The two royals snapped out of their moment. They both looked up at the guard, who was dragging a messenger in by his rags.  
  
"Speak." Queen Serenity said with authority. "What does he have to say?"  
  
The messenger drew back his hood, exposing a pair of beady black eyes. "The most wise and honourable master sais for you to meet his demands, else you will all be destroyed." He squawked. His mannerisms were like that of a vulture, his head bobbing from side to side. He eyed the two beautiful ladies, thinking only sinful things, given his chance he would try to take them both, if there were no guards in the room. "His demands will be met!"  
  
"Demands!" The blonde angel snarled, looking very out of character. Years of hatred and of living in fear had turned her once innocent heart to stone. She was beautiful on the outside, but broken on the inside. "You can tell that ugly bully that he will never have my mothers crown! Never!"  
  
A foul laughter came rushing in from outside, black smoke swirled about and formed the shape of a man. Although the smoke could not define his features properly, his loud voice still bellowed through. Serenity knew that voice all too well. "Ugly! Am I?" The smoke raged. "How do you know that I am ugly, when you have never even seen me!" The guards in the room charged towards the smoke, slashing at the blackness in the room. All of their efforts were fruitless, the blade slashed through the air and out the other side, no harm was done.  
  
"I don't have to see you to know that you are ugly. You heart is vile and twisted. Only something as foul as you could pollute our lands like you have." The blonde girl stopped momentarily for a breath, but she wasn't going to end her onslaughts there, she had been waiting years to tell him what she though of him, and now that she had her chance she was not going to miss it. "You are the most disgusting thing that I have ever known." She spat at him, the stream of her saliva went straight through him and splashed on the floor behind. "We will never meet your demands. You will never have my mothers crown!"  
  
The smoke howled a wicked laugh. "Is that what you think this war was about? Your stupid kingdom!" The smoke floated up next to the young angel and circled beside her. "No, my dear. I am after a prize far greater then any kingdom." The smoke lifted up her hand and pressed it to where his lips would have been. "My angel, this war is about you."  
  
In an instant, she snatched her hand away. With her big blue eyes she looked up at the queen. "Mother? What is he talking about?"  
  
Queen Serenity looked down at her feet. "I didn't want you to know, I thought that it would be best for everyone."  
  
"Know what? Mother, what is he talking about?" The queen was speechless.  
  
The smoke placed a hand around the blonde girls waist and whispered softly into her ear. "My beautiful angel, I never wanted your kingdom. All I want, is you." ` ` ` ` ` ` A cold shiver ran down her spine. She looked at her mother, hurt and anger shooting out from her eyes. "Is this true?" She ran over to her mother and knelt down at her feet. "Mother, is that true?"  
  
Queen Serenity just sat there, staring at the smoke. A silver tear ran down her cheek and splashed onto her daughter's forehead. For a moment, her sad eyes displayed a flicker of anger, but it soon faded away leaving her with just an empty expression.  
  
"Mother!" The blonde angel shook her hard, trying to make the queen snap out of her trance. "Mother, please tell me he is lying!"  
  
The smoke laughed again. "Believe me, my sweet girl. I am not lying, all this war, all this suffering, all this death, all of it, is for you." She could feel the smile upon his face.  
  
"Shut up!" She screamed at him. "Mother! Answer me."  
  
Queen Serenity looked away from her daughter and gazed back outside at the crimson night. "Yes, my child. He is speaking the truth."  
  
For a moment the young princess was stunned, stunned that what she believed she was fighting for, was all a lie. She had grown up watching the suffering of her people, she said goodbye to the soldiers and wished them luck before they went into battle. None of them to return and it was all because of her. Her heart felt heavy, as though her blood were lead. "Did they know?" She asked her mother, she felt revolted and it showed in her voice. She didn't hate her mother, she never could, but now she felt something worse then hatred, she felt betrayed. The one person that she trusted most had lied her to.  
  
"No." The queen answered in a soft voice. "They did not know the true reason, but even if they did, they still would have fought for you." She reached out for her daughter's hand, only for the girl to snatch it away coldly.  
  
"You lied to us all?"  
  
"I did it for you. I would never see any harm done to you. Never!" She cried out the words. In her mind, Serenity knew that she had done wrong. Her heart, however, told her otherwise. "I just wanted to protect you. Keep you safe."  
  
The young girl dropped to her knees and frantically started wiping her hands clean on her dress. "Blood" She cried, her tears falling on her hands. "Their blood is on me. Mother, how could you do this too me?"  
  
"No daughter, this was not your doing." Serenity cried and knelt down next to her only child. "Their blood was spilt by me. You had no part in this massacre. Do you hear me? It was my doing."  
  
She looked up at her mother; her beautiful eyes were red from tears. They were about to embrace each other, when a wicked voice cut through the moment.  
  
"It does not matter whose fault it is. Soon, there will be no-one left to remember what the war was even about."  
  
"You Bastard!" The beautiful princess cried, shooting daggers at him through her eyes. "You will surely rot in hell for all you have done!"  
  
"Me?" He laughed innocently. "I didn't start this war, your mother did. She could have ended it any time. And now, it is me that is here prepared to make a treaty, to save your kingdom. Yet, still she refuses. The blood is on that wench." He snarled, pointing to the distraught Queen who was crying on the palace floor.  
  
"So you will end this war?" The young princess stood up bravely. Somewhere, deep down inside of her, her heart still mourned greatly for the deaths of her countrymen. But with a graceful flick of her golden locks, she ignored the pain inside, like any good leader would do. She was not going to have any more blood spilled in her name.  
  
"Yes. Give me what I want, and this war will be over."  
  
"Never!" The queen shouted, his words ending her tears. The water disappeared from her eyes and was replaced by an angry glow. "You will never have my daughter! You hear me. You will have to kill me first."  
  
The black smoke raged, growing twice as large in size. "By tomorrow night, I will have what I want anyway, whether you are alive or not. Do you understand me? Deny me, and you and your kingdom will be destroyed forever, and she." He floated over to the beautiful princess. "You my dear, you will be mine."  
  
"Get away from her!" Queen Serenity yelled and charged towards the smoke. She leapt in the air to tackle him, but instead she fell straight onto the floor behind him. The young princess ran to her mothers' side and helped her up off the floor.  
  
"Is that all it will take to stop this war?" She spat at him, still having trouble believing that so much death could be carried out for her. "And this war will be stopped? You will leave our kingdom alone?"  
  
"Darling, no! You mustn't!" The queen begged on her knees. She looked up at her daughter and stared into her familiar blue eyes. In them, she saw the same determination that she used to have many years ago, her heart sank as she realised that she would not be able to change her daughters mind.  
  
The smoke bowed politely, his voice turned smooth and seductive. "Yes, you have my word. You come with me, and this war will stop. As long as we are together your kingdom will be safe, your mother will be safe."  
  
"No!" The Queen still pleaded. "Daughter, his vast armies are growing weak. We can defeat him. This time tomorrow night, our brave warriors will have tasted victory!"  
  
The princess drooped down to her knees and met her mother eye to eye. "Look around you mother!" She said sternly. "Our brave warriors are simply children with shovels and rakes. Our kingdom is nearly destroyed, one more battle will end it."  
  
"If we all."  
  
"No! Listen to me, please!" She begged, both shedding tears that fell freely to the floor. "Mother, women and children cannot fight this battle. No more blood will be on my hands."  
  
"But if we."  
  
She kissed her mother's head to quieten her and then looked at the cloud of black smoke. "What assurances do I have that you will end this madness?" She asked with her misty blue eyes.  
  
"You have my word. As long as you are with me, no more harm will come to your kingdom." The smoke paused for a moment. "I do not need an answer now. Come to me by sunset tomorrow, else I will come and claim more of your peoples blood." And with his last vicious words, the smoke disappeared, leaving the two royals to huddle together, grief-stricken in a puddle of their tears. 


	2. Frost in the heart

A lonely figure stood on the balcony of the palace, looking out into the night sky. A cold wind blew her blonde pigtails, they fluttered around her face like butterflies.  
  
"Darling? Are you out here?" A voice came from behind the lace curtains.  
  
"Yes Mother. I am."  
  
Her mother soon joined Serena and together they stood staring out into the ebony night. Queen Serenity placed her arms around her daughters' waist gently. She was holding her tightly, never wanting to let her go.  
  
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" The young princess said, staring at the planet in front of them.  
  
The Queen kissed her cheek tenderly. "You know, ever since you were a little girl, you use to want live there. Every night, when you were supposed to be in bed, I would catch you out here, staring at the Earth." The princess nodded her head and smiled cheekily. A gentle wind blew both their tresses, a ballet of silver and gold blew behind the two beauties. "Don't go." She whispered in to her daughters' ear and hugged her tighter. "Please don't leave me."  
  
She backed away from her mother and looked deeply into her eyes. "You know that I have to. Please don't make this harder then it already is." Her eyes had started to redden from tears. The queen fell silent. "We both know that this is for the best, I should have gone years ago."  
  
"Please." She begged softly, her breaking voice was barely audible. "Sweetheart."  
  
But Serena cut her off with a swift shake of her head. She led the queen to the edge of the balcony. "Look down there. What do you see?"  
  
The queen gazed over the edge, down at her kingdom. The once marbled buildings had now turned to stone, crumbling away under the stress war. Around the kingdom there were orange flames flickering. Some of the fires were lit by the soldiers from earth, the larger ones were. The smaller ones, however, were fire lit by the Moon citizens. Homeless and starving, they lit the fires to keep warm. The queen closed her eyes for a moment, a silvery tear spilling forth.  
  
"Without the war, the moon can have a chance to recover. We can rebuild our great kingdom." She smiled hopefully, and the queen nodded her head. As much as she didn't want to loose her only daughter, it was the right decision. "The sun will be setting on the earth in less then an hour. I must go to him."  
  
Serenity fell silent fro a moment, but then she reached into a secret pocket behind her dress and pulled out something wrapped in a silk handkerchief. "This is for you." She said, handing the gift to her daughter. "If nothing happens, or you want to escape from him, this will help you."  
  
With a loving smile, she accepted the gift. She pulled back the silky material, her smile vanishing with the mystery of what was inside. "What are you thinking?" She demanded, her gentle disposition disappearing at once. In her hands soot a dagger, about thirty centimetres long. The steel blade glowed red from the night sky, it looked like it had been stained with blood. The handle was made out of Moonstone, a precious crystal that found only in rare craters on the dark side of the moon. On the handle, there were half moons made out of pure gold. The dagger itself was as light as a feather to touch, but it weighed heavily on the young princesses heart. "How dare you give this to me. What do you expect me to do!" She yelled at her eerily silent mother. "If you are expecting me to shed more blood." She paused, the anger inside of her was building up, so like any young lady, she stopped and counted to ten. "Enough blood had been stained on my hands, no more." Still angry, she handed the weapon back to the queen.  
  
"Please take it. You may need it. If he tries," She stopped momentarily to swallow the lump in her throat. "If he tries to hurt you, or compromise you in anyway. Just remember, you owe that tyrant NOTHING!" The queen was surprised as the anger in her voice. Like her daughter, she took a moment to calm down. She closed her eyes but then she felt a squeeze on her hand.  
  
"Don't worry. I am a big girl." She smiled sweetly. "Promise me that you will rebuild our kingdom. No matter what happens." She wiped her mother's cheeks dry. "Okay," She said taking back the dagger. "If anything happens, I will use it."  
  
Serenity gave a loving smile.  
  
"I must go now," She said, staring at the slowly darkening earth. "If I don't, it will be too late." She embraced her mother one last time.  
  
"You are always in my heart, my darling."  
  
"And you are in mine." .  
  
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~*~*~*~*~*~~* .  
  
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The dusk sky was painted with blood as a crimson sun faded away behind the distant mountains. Their shadowy peaks marched along the horizon like a dark army, soon to be blended into the black night sky. Nights were always dark here. Ever since the moon lost its sparkling lustre, the nights had grown black and cold, regardless what season it was. The chilling embrace of the night air destroyed everything it touched, the plants decayed, flowers perish and pure souls were easily fouled.  
  
Alone in his castle keep, he looked out upon the dying sun, letting the last of the warmth comfort what was left of his soul.  
  
His heart stopped beating. 'She is not coming.' He whispered sadly to himself, a diamond tear spilled forth from his ocean blue eyes. He wiped the tear away and looked at the shiny bead that was glistening on his hand. It was an unusual sight, for him to shed any kind of emotion, he stared at the watery drop like a child, enchanted that he could create something so beautiful, something so sad.  
  
Slowly brining it up to his mouth, he tasted the salty water. Its briny taste felt refreshing and strangely comforting, forcing him to experience a long forgotten feeling.  
  
Years of battle had left his heart callous. It had become harder then stone, colder then ice and unfriendlier then the darkness of shadows. However, his heart was already broken before the war, the war was just a means to an end. To him it didn't matter if he won or lost. Although part wanted to win the war, another part of him just wanted his suffering to end.  
  
He had grown up alone, suffering silently. The servants had left him while he was young, they did not understand what had happened to him, nobody did. They were afraid as he changed, as he transformed, transformed into something unnatural. They left him, uttering prayers and spiteful words, like he was the spawn of Satan himself.  
  
His parents died when he was mealy a child. A child left alone to die of sadness, so during the day a part of him would die, little by little.  
  
But during the night, he changed into something worse, something evil. Something that would corrupt any pure soul it could find.  
  
So alone, the prince of the earth grew up, getting only the rare visitor who brought him food, followed by them running away in terror.  
  
So he grew up alone in a dark castle, filled of empty rooms and lost hopes. There was never any sound of laughter in the corridor, or children playing innocently with their families. He had grown up with the sound of the wind howling through the eves and cobwebs gathering in the corners.  
The last of the glowing sun disappeared into the horizon. He shed another tear, slowly, he watched it roll of his pale cheek and fall to its death below him. 'She isn't coming.'  
  
Suddenly, a huge knock echoed throughout the house. His heart jumped, springing back into life. He dare not move. Too frozen to open the door, too afraid to face her. He stood amongst the gargoyles, hoping to fade away into the shadowy night like the sun. With a loud creak, he heard the doors open. He stopped breathing. He wanted to be silent, not wanting to be discovered. He wanted her to leave.  
  
All these long years, he had waited for *her* to finally say that she would be with him. Now that his wait was over, he was scared. He wanted something that was out of reach, and now that he had it, he didn't want to loose it and he knew that he would. As soon as she saw him, as soon as she saw the man that he was, she would hate him. She would hate him even more then she already did and he would loose her forever. Another sparkling tear splashed on the ground. He knew that she would break him, even while his heart was already broken beyond repair. If she broke it, he would surely die.  
  
He closed his sapphire eyes for a moment, letting the last of his tears spill forth.  
  
He knew the truth about himself. All the names that she called him earlier at the palace were true. He was an ogre, a tyrant, and a bully. He had watched the war that had raged on for years, he had caused the war. Caused the suffering and death. . .  
  
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The sun had finally departed. . .  
  
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. The change came again. .  
  
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A spark of anger burned within him as he thought of the battles, his classic evil smile retuning to his lips. 'They deserved it!' He thought to himself. 'They all deserve to die!' He felt no remorse for the war he had started. He was not sorry for the deaths, if anything, he was proud. Proud to show them all that he was not weak, happy to stop their taunting.  
  
By night, he could hear their mocking laughter on the wind. No matter what he did, he could still hear it. He use to scream out into the night for silence, but no silence ever came. It had all but driven him mad, until one day. On the most unlikely of days, he saw her. Saw the princess of the moon, and something within him stirred. Ever since that moment, he knew. He knew he had to have her, no matter what the cost.  
  
He gathered armies, men that served him, only under fear that their families would suffer if they refused. With his vast armies he corrupted the moon, destroying everything that he touched. For him it was easy: by nightfall he would come and wreak havoc on the white kingdom. By dawn he would return to Earth, leaving his armies behind to finish off any survivors.  
  
He heard the door close. Had she gone? Had she left him here, decided that death would be better then spending even one second with him. He wiped his salty cheeks dry, he would never let her see him cry. Crying was a weakness he would never show. 'She will not hurt me.' He thought to himself, his heart frosting over again. All the emotions that had just filled his body had vanished with the sun. 'I won't let her, I won't let her inside my heart. Then she will be mine for an eternity. Even if I have to torture her until she screams to stop. She will be mine.'  
  
The last emotion left his body. His heart was stone once again. The princess would be reduced to a life of slavery. A life of misery and loneliness, just like his. .  
  
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A.N. I will be sure to get the next chapter out soon, I promise. Please review, it only takes a second ^_^ 


	3. Changes

Slowly, she stepped forward into the ancient room, her heels made a gentle clicking sound on the marbled floor. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness in the castle. A cloud must have been hiding the moon, because in a matter or seconds, a crimson moonbeam shone through the stain glass window. Its eerie glow illuminate the room just enough for her to see around. It was like she had stepped into a time warp. It was a place that had not seen the light of day for centuries. Dust lay undisturbed, covering everything in sight. The air was musty and filled with spores making the young princess cough, though very politely. She was trying not to make her presence too known.  
  
In her hand she tightly clutched an overnight bag. It was not filled with much, just the bare necessities. However, hidden deep in the bottom of the case was a dagger. She stroked the silhouette of the blade, reassuring herself.  
Each step she took forward stirred up a cloud of dust, this time, she could not cough as daintily as she did before hand. From his balcony, he heard her. Her coughs sending his heart a flutter. He ran to the top of the stairs and there he saw her. Amongst the dust and cobwebs, stood an angel. He closed his eyes. The last glow of light fell upon his face, a face that he keeps hidden from the world. In a matter of moments, he knew that once again he would change. Acting quickly, he yelled down onto her. "Princess. Please make haste. Your room is the first door to the right, once you have come upstairs. As soon as you are there, please lock yourself in. You will come out when I call for you. You will do as I say, when I say, and we will both live in peace. Sleep tonight." With a swing of his arm, he drew his hood up and escaped into the shadows of the twilight. Hoping to get as much distance between himself and his beautiful angel. .  
  
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~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~ .  
  
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A loud rap came on the bedroom door. Sleepily, she opened up her eyes and tried to adjust them to the darkened bedroom. She walked over to the window and drew back the heavy black curtains. A cloud of dust swirled up her nose, the curtains had obviously not been opened for decades.  
  
The rap at the door came again.  
  
Ignoring it, she looked outside, amazed at what she saw. Out to the west, a flamingo sun was melting into the horizon. 'Sunset?' She thought to herself, having trouble believing what she was seeing. 'The sun can't be setting, it just did.'  
  
Again the rap came at the door. This time, it was louder then ever, its vibrations stirring the dust that had collected on the furniture. She took a moment to study the room.  
  
The size of it was huge, bigger then any room in her mother's palace. To the far wall, red velvet chairs sat untouched by life, dust settled upon them, making them appear a rusty colour. The bed that she had been sleeping in was also of giant proportions. It was decorated with black silk sheets, while white lace was draped from the top of the four bedposts. 'He must have cleaned it before I came.' She thought as she noticed that her bed did not have the usual blanket of dust upon it. Frayed tapestries and fading paintings clung to stained walls, blemished by time from age, water and darkness. Beneath the dust and aging furniture, lied a beautiful room. Beautiful from the most elegant detail, royal blue carpet, to the simplest detail, gold candleholders. She walked over to the desk and lit one of the used candles.  
  
The rap came so loud the paintings moved on the walls. Suddenly, she remembered where she was. Why she was here. But most importantly, she remembered whom she was with. She closed her eyes and turned her pure heart to stone.  
  
"Yes." She barked at the door and took her place upon the bed, draping the silky sheet around herself. Making sure not to expose any of her pure white flesh.  
  
The door slowly squeaked open. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, standing in the doorframe. The shadows hid his face just enough, so she couldn't see what he looked like. He placed the tray that he was carrying at his feet. "I, I brought you breakfast." He stuttered. "I hope that you like." But he wasn't able to finish his sentence; he took one last look at the dying sun, and let out a regretful sigh. "You should have opened the door sooner."  
  
Suddenly, he dropped down onto the floor, clutching his heart in his hand as though he was having an attack. His convulsing body rolled into the room. From her perch atop of her bed she watched his fit, to shocked and afraid to do anything. His body was getting tangled up in the large black robe that he was wearing; the heavy material covered every inch of his body. She had become mesmerised by him, his movements, his voice. She could sense something behind his words, something sweet, like a heart. She got up off her bed, her nightgown flowing gracefully behind her, and within a few quick trots she was kneeling down next to him. It was against her nature, not to care.  
  
"Are you, are you alright?" She said, placing her snowy hand on his shoulder. Immediately, he stopped shaking and very calmly got up off the floor. The dark black hood covered all of his features, making it impossible to tell what he was feeling. "Why my princess." He said smoothly, picking up her hand and placing it to his lips. "I didn't think you cared."  
  
She was shocked, his voice had changed so dramatically, in such a short time. His innocent, almost loving voice was lost, and replaced by the voice of the devil, the same voice that had haunted her nightmares. Quickly, she recoiled her hand and slapped him across his face.  
  
"There is the girl I know and love." He said, stroking his cheek where she had just struck him. He drew back his heavy hood, exposing a pair of beautiful ocean blue eyes. Beautiful they were, but soulful, not. Instead of purity, his eyes danced with sin.  
  
"You don't know me." She spat at him, daggers shooting from her eyes. "You know nothing about me!"  
  
"Oh but I do." He answered and stepped forward. In one foul swoop, he grabbed her ruby lips and tasted them. The taste was sweeter then strawberries. A taste he had longed for.  
  
Struggling, she tried to pull away, but she was helpless in his powerful grip. She had no choice but to ride out the invasion of his tongue. Finally, he let her go. His honey sweet breath still lingering upon her skin. "See," He gloated, "I know enough about you to know that you enjoyed that.  
  
She slapped him again, her hand making an awful thwack noise across his face.  
  
"Deny it all you want, Princess. I know the truth, and so do you."  
  
She raised her hand to strike him again, but this time he caught it in mid air, and held her tight in his powerful grip.  
  
"Careful princess, you are only allowed three of those, and you have already hit me twice." With his other arm, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close up against his chiselled body. "You don't have to pretend with me." He whispered softly to her. "Don't deny yourself what you truly want." His tongue plunged deep into her ear. "I know what it is you hunger for. You don't need to play the good girl for me. It's okay to be human, princess."  
  
She struggled against his body, trying to break free from his grip. "Human! You wouldn't know the first thing about being human. Your not a person, you could never be. You're a beast."  
  
He threw his head back in exclamation and laughed evilly. "A beast?" He scoffed. "Believe me my dear, you haven't met the beast inside me yet." He pulled his hood back over his face as she backed away from him.  
  
Without any more words, he turned to leave the room, like the mysterious man he was.  
  
"Wait!" She called after him, and shocked herself to do so.  
  
He stopped in his tracks, his breathing ceased immediately. 'She wants me. ' He smirked to himself as wicked thoughts ran through his head.  
  
Casually, she glided up to him, her silky blonde hair waving behind her. "I think I will use it now."  
  
"What?" He asked, confused. Next thing he knew, he felt her icy palm across his face.  
  
"I would rather die, then let you touch me again."  
  
Passion raged within him. He had never felt so alive, his lust for her only grew stronger with each rejection. He was about to grab her and throw her down onto the royal blue carpet when something stopped him. He knew exactly what it was, what was surfacing. For now, however, he would let the thing inside win. "Fine," He said, ignoring his desire for her. "Then you will earn your keep other ways." He figured that after a week of hard labour, she would be begging for him to take her. Then nothing could stop him. He whirled his black cape around him and left the room in a flash of blackness. 


	4. A Friend in the Darkness

A.N. Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. Its extra long to make up for it. Hope you enjoy. ( .  
  
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For a moment, she stood as still as a statue, stunned at how he could change so quickly, change his personality completely. With a toss of her golden locks, she brushed off her curiosity. 'Lucky, that's what you are, very lucky.' She took a deep breath and then lay back on the bed, she would not face him at night. During the day she felt safer, so with a thousand thoughts in her head, she closed her eyes and stirred restlessly until she felt the morning glow upon her face.  
  
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Finally rising, she walked over to her overnight bag and pulled out a dress. It was a simple sundress, pink in colour, reaching down to her ankles. It had shoestring straps and was tied together at her waist by a large white bow. Although it was simple, like all clothing that she wore, she made the dress look beautiful. With a candle in one hand to battle the blanketing darkness, she stepped over the breakfast offering that he first brought, and then tottered down the mahogany staircase. It was so dark she could hardly believe it. It was daytime, yet everything was covered in darkness. She looked at the foot of the stairwell, and much to her disgust, sitting at its foot was a bucket and scrubbing brush.  
  
"No Way, I don't think so." She said aloud and looked ahead. In front of her, the huge entry doors were open slightly, letting in a faint glow of sunlight from outside. Not thinking about anything she made a break for the door, for her freedom. She was only a few strides away, before it slammed shut, drowning her hopes. She waved the candle in the darkness and into its ghostly glow, stepped a short man in a dark brown hood.  
  
Slowly he drew back his hood.  
  
"You!" She cried, recognising the man. "You are the messenger from the palace."  
  
The man smiled through his crooked teeth. "Yes, my pretty little princess." He sprayed and raised his hand up to stroke her face. There was no way that she was going to allow that, instead she grabbed his fingers and bend them back. A loud snap came from his hand as he cried out in pain. "Oww! You bad little girl!" He yelled, like the words of a child. "You be in big trouble, when my master sees what you have done."  
  
"Like I care what that ogre has to say." She spat at him and took a step away from him, he obviously had never heard of a 'bath' and the stench was making her ill.  
  
"You will care, once he lock you ups. You fink he nice and lovely, but I know him. I know master. He not, he will lock you up, pretty princess. He will lock you ups and you will suffer."  
  
"I, I, I don't care."  
  
"He gave this to me. He sayed 'If she tries to run, give her this and a warnings.' He sayed. He sayed fat you must stay here, forever. You belong to him now. Like me, you know. We belong to him, but I am his favourite and don't you forget fat." He said with an angry scowl upon his face, his mood changing instantaneously. He thrust a piece of paper into her hands. It took her a moment to break contact with the black-eyed man before she looked down at the letter, written in red.  
  
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Dearest Princess.  
  
It was your choice to come here princess and at anytime, you are welcome leave. But know this, if you do: For every hour that you are gone, I will kill one hundred of your kinsmen. Therefore, I suggest that you get accustomed to your new home. For you will be here for a long time.  
  
Whilst you are here, you are mine. Don't ever forget that. You will do as I say, when I say, how I say. If you fail to obey my rules, both you and your kingdom will be punished.  
  
Dinner will be served in the dining room at five o'clock sharp. You may come once you have finished your chores, else you will go without.  
  
Curfew is one hour before Dusk. Obey this. You will rise at dawn. No matter what I tell you, you will obey this letter.  
  
Most importantly, you will obey curfew.  
  
I hope that you adjust to your new home well, and I am sure that we will get along splendidly.  
  
Good day, Princess  
  
Xxx  
  
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She tore the letter up into shreds and threw the pieces into the air. They scattered like doves being released, floating upwards and downwards. "You can take your rules and!"  
  
The messenger grabbed her by the arm. "You will does as he says, pretty princess. Else you will be in trouble."  
  
She could feel his stale breath upon her skin, it was damp and musty, and it smelt like the juices from the bottom of a rubbish bin. She turned her nose up at the smell and tried to shake her arm free, but his grip was tight and he was not going to let go.  
  
"Get off me!" She screamed at him, and with her long fingernails she scratched his face. He let go of her and dropped down onto the floor, crying like a baby.  
  
"Master! Master, she hurt me!" He cried, his wails were so high pitched it echoed inside her ears. "Master!"  
  
Suddenly, she got worried. 'What would he do if he came?' She thought and then immediately kneeled down next to the oversized child. "Shhh," She comforted in a soothing voice. "I am sorry. Please stop crying." She was honestly remorseful. It was not in her nature to hurt people, even with her heart as cold as it had grown.  
  
"But.You.Hurt.Me!" He said between crying breaths, his bottom lips trembling, making his face look even more distorted then it already was.  
  
"Hush now." She said in her most soothing voice. "I am sorry." She ran her fingers through his greasy brown hair. She cringed as she felt the dirt and oil get stuck under her nails. "What is you name?"  
  
He stopped crying and looked up at her with his beady black eyes. "M-M- Master calls me Fick. He named m-m-me, when he found me. He says to me that I am Fick. So I call me Fick and he calls me Fick."  
  
"Fick, hmm. Are you okay now, Fick?" She looked at him gently, wondering how such a grown man, could be so simple. He nodded strangely enthusiastically.  
  
A dark voice bellowed from the top of the stairway. "What is going on down here?"  
  
She stared into his black eyes, begging him not to say anything. Her eyes were watering over with fear.  
  
"Nothing, Master. She was helping me. Fats all."  
  
"Well, get to work. Both of you." He barked at them. She looked around to see where he was standing, but the castle was cloaked in shadows.  
  
"Yes Master." He answered gleefully, and like a little monkey, he scurried off. She looked around in the darkness and sighed. For now, she knew that she would have to play things his way, but she knew that she could never be broken. Never.  
  
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~*~*~*~*~*In the early hours of twilight...~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
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Exhausted, she looked out the window. The sky had grown pasty with the early evening light. The moon had not since shown its ghostly head, but she knew it would soon. Down on her hands and knees she continued to scrub the floors. She looked over to where she had worked. She had scrubbed away the years of tarnish, the stains, mould, dust and decay. She had worked all day, to expose a sparkling marble floor about ten meters squared. She smiled as she was finally able to see some results. Looking down at herself she sighed, her dress was worn where her she had kneeled, and large holes started to tear in the silky fabric. She wiped one of the blonde stands of hair out of her face and frowned. Little did she know, she was being watched.  
  
Atop of the staircase, still cloaked in the shadows, he waited. Watching her all day long. Every rise and fall of her chest, every exhausted grunt she made, watching her tuck back her hair as it fell upon her angelic face. He too, noted the dying of the sun. In less then an hour, it would poke its head over the dark forests and cover the land with its sickly light. The night was not his friend.  
  
A voice broke through his thoughts.  
  
"Master, I have served your dinner for you master. It is ready, ready for you in your dining room. I have set your place, master."  
  
He nodded, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Good, and her? Where is her dinner?"  
  
"Dinner Master? Where is her dinner? She gets no dinner, master, no dinner for the pretty princess."  
  
"She will get dinner." He snarled back. "Set a place for her in the dinning room. Do this every night. Every night, you hear me Fick?"  
  
"But Master."  
  
He grabbed the beady man by his neck and pinned him against the wall, Fick's legs were thrashing helplessly in the air.  
  
"DO IT!" He roared, flashing his razer sharp teeth. The grip around his slaves neck tightened, the veins in his body started to go blue.  
  
"Yes Master." He tried to say while being strangled. The grip around his neck loosened and he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. "I do it now master, for you. I get the pretty princess some dinner. A pretty dinner for the pretty princess and pretty master." He walked away, continuing the conversation with himself. "Fick does what master says, master says what Fick does. Pretty princess and.."  
  
With a sigh and a shake of his head, he looked down unto his comforting angel. He watched her wipe the sweat off her face, an exhausted motion that could only be made beautiful by a vision like her. "You are finished for the night." He spoke to her from his hiding place. "Dinner will be served in the dining room." He turned and walked to his dinner, so he could take his place in the shadows.  
  
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His voice burned her soul.  
  
The hatred did not burn less. She hated him, more then a plague, more then death. To her, he was evil, pure and simple. She would rather die of starvation, than sit next to him for even a second. Quietly, she scurried off to her room, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
  
Unknowing that she was not joining him, he still waited patiently. The candle at the centre of the table had burned down to a nub, its wax dribbling down the side of it and clotting onto the lace tablecloth.  
  
A grand table had been set for her, both their plates had been filled with food. By now, the food was colder then the frosty night outside. His body had changed hours ago, but still he hid in his dark cloak, desperately wanting to see her. A stream of moonlight broke through the gaps in the black curtain, night had come, and his dinner was cold. With a scream, he tossed it at the wall, the mashed potatoes clung to the paint like glue. She was not coming. Into the lessening shadows he snuck off to his room, angry at himself that he had waited so long.  
  
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He had disappeared for days, and she had no idea where he went. One cold winters morning, she saw him ride off as soon as the sun peeped its fiery head over the horizon, and he hadn't retuned since. Everyday, Fick came to her with orders, what to clean, what to tidy, enough to keep her busy, but not enough to work her to the bone. Fick too, would disappear, he did not live in the castle. He travelled every morning and left before sunset. Once he told her that it was best to go before dusk, that there was trouble if he would stay longer. She smiled to herself as she scrubbed the last of the floors for tonight.  
  
"Friend!" An excited voice echoed through the hallways. "Friend, where are you?"  
  
"Here Fick," She called out and smiled softly, she was always glad to have some company. She and Fick had grown especially close over the weeks that she had been held captive.  
  
"Friend, Master comes home, he is comes home tonight. He rides home soon." The man said gleefully.  
  
Besides herself, the prince is his only friend. 'There must be a kind heart in the tyrant somewhere. For a man as innocent as Fick to like him, there has to be something.' She thought to herself. 'There just has to be.' She placed her hand on Fick's shoulder, trying to get him to calm down.  
  
"That's good Fick. I am glad." She lied. In truth, she was enjoying not being yelled at or scolded, she would rather live alone for and eternity, then to live for just another minute with him. "I will go to my room now Fick. I have finished my chores and I am growing sleepy." She feigned a smiled.  
  
"But don't you want to see master?" He asked, noticing her change in mood. "Master will want to see you, he wants to see you, but me too. I am his favourite, you know. I am his best." He beamed through his crooked teeth.  
  
If it wasn't for his adult body, she would swear he was a boy of only five.  
  
"Yes, Fick. You are his favourite. You are my favourite too." She smiled back and kissed him innocently on his cheek, her sweet scent swirled around him like fairy dust, intoxicating him.  
  
Suddenly, something erupted inside of him. She had stirred something in him, which should have remained dormant. He looked up at her, his eyes gleaming with lust.  
  
"Your hair is pretty," he said, his breathing turning shallow. He placed a hand up to stroke her golden locks, but instinctively, she pulled away.  
  
"Fick," She said worriedly and backed away from him. "Fick I am going upstairs now. Goodnight." She turned to walk up the staircase, but was grabbed from behind. "Fick let go of me!" She cried and tried to pull away.  
  
"No!" Fick shouted back and pushed her onto the ground. "Pretty princess. So pretty."  
  
"Get off me!" She yelled and kicked him in his privates.  
  
He let out an agonizing scream, but he was slowed down only momentarily. He ripped a split in her dress, feeling her shaking legs underneath. Tears spilled forth as she desperately thumped him with her arms, trying to push him away.  
  
The front doors burst open, letting in the last breath of sunlight.  
  
"Fick!" A booming voice roared. She looked up and saw a figure in a cape rushing towards her. Although her tears distorted her vision, she knew who it was. She never thought she would be so happy to see him again. In one fluid movement, he ripped Fick off of her and slammed him against the wall. He then ran over to the crying man and picked him up by the neck.  
  
"Don't you dare touch her!" He yelled at Fick and carried him by his throat to the door. "I warned you about that. Goodbye Fick." He yelled and threw him onto the cold stone steps outside.  
  
"Master!" The man cried, "Master please, I am sorry. Fick is sorry!" He banged his arms and legs on the ground. He was throwing a full on tantrum. "I am sorry. Fick was bad, Fick wont do it again. Fick promises."  
  
"It does not matter now. Leave Fick, and do not return."  
  
"But Master," He howled, but the prince did not wait to hear anymore. He raised his hand up as to strike him, and then watched the man scurry away. A single tear rolled down his cheek. 


	5. The Power of the Darkside

Slowly, she rose up off the floor, still trembling like a flower in a blizzard. "Thank-thankyou." She said softly, still half in shock after the ordeal. She looked into his eyes, hoping to see something other than a cruel gaze staring back.  
  
"This should not have happened." He said gruffly to her. "You should have locked yourself in your room an hour ago." He could feel the last breaths of the sun in his blood; he turned his back to her and started to walk away.  
  
"Well. I was not sure on when you would return." She called out defiantly to him, offended that he was so cold towards her, though she didn't know why she cared.  
  
"You have my rules. You are to obey them, at ALL times." He could hear her footsteps as she moved closer. Instinctively, he pulled the hood of his robe down further. "Well!?!" He said to her, his voice as cold as ice.  
  
"Well what?" She asked, stepping closer. If she could only see him, touch him, maybe that would stop him from being so distant.  
  
"It is past curfew. To your room." He barked at her. "Now!" He could hear her angry steps as she walked away. "Goodnight." He whispered under his breath.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Out of his loft, he stood gazing at the flamingo sky. The same thing he did every evening, since that night remembered. A cold wind blew his heavy cloak, awakening the memories of his past. He sighed as he remembered his last day of freedom, and his last foolish stunt that ended them all.  
  
A Dying amber sun was slowly taking its last breath before it departed from this world and disappeared for yet another night. The young prince stood at the boundaries of his kingdom, dreaming about the adventures that lie ahead of him. For a boy of only five, he was extremely brave, and like any other young boy, also extremely curious. He stood, with his wooden sword ready, eager to attack anything that came out of the shadows.  
  
The ancient trees in front of him rose up like giants as he waited for an adversary.  
  
"Darien." A voice broke though the silence of the darkness. "Darien, is that you my child?"  
  
It was his father's voice, always calm, no matter what anger surfaced inside of him.  
  
"Father?" He asked, slightly confused. He focused his eyes into the dark woods, 'What is dad doing in the forest?' He asked himself. His father had always forbidden him to take even a single step in there, and now it was he who broke his own rules.  
  
"Darien. I need your help. I am stuck, my child. Please help me."  
  
A frown came on his face, there was something wrong here and he knew it. He could feel it inside of him, an awful feeling like a knife inside his stomach.  
  
He ran his hand trough his ebony hair and took a deep breath.  
  
"Help!" His fathers booming voice came screaming out of the shadows. Without wasting any more time, Darien raced into the shadows.  
  
The darkness grabbed at his feet, threatening to trip him with every step that he took. The thorns clipped at his legs, spilling forth his velvety blood that splashed onto the decaying ground at his feet. The forest was denser then he imagined, armed with only his wooden sword, he slashed frantically at the vines and overgrowth that blocked his path. "Dad?" He screamed into the darkness around him. "Dad? Where are you?" But there was no answer, his head started spinning around as he realised the terrible truth. He was lost. His eyes strained against the falling night, the full moon in the sky was not powerful enough to break through the thickness of the tangling branches and leaves. "Dad?" He called again, but this time his voice was soft and whimpering. His fears covered him like a blanket, suffocating him, making it hard for him to breath.  
  
"Father!" He called out once again, feeling light headed from his quickening breaths. He closed his eyes. 'Its okay,' He told himself, trying to calm his self down. 'It will be okay, dad will come and find *you* soon. He always comes looking, so just stay put.'  
  
Suddenly, as his reassuring thoughts ran warmly over his heart, he saw something sparkle in the distance. A flame from a torch fractured the darkness. Without wasting anytime, he ran towards the light, quickly wiping the tears that were falling from his ocean blue eyes.  
  
The burning flame moved closer and closer, all his fears melted away.  
  
Then there it was.  
  
Growing closer and closer, was a cottage. Old and worn by time, its wooden walls were crumbling under the weight of an era. The old roof was covered with holes, holes because generations of birds had stolen its thatch to use for their nests. It looked as though it had been abandoned for years. Abruptly, he stopped his running and hesitantly walked up to the old cabin.  
  
"Hello?" He called, his young innocent voice breaking through the viscous blackness. Hesitantly, he moved up to the door and knocked upon his splintered surface. "Hello?" He called again, certain that there would be no answer.  
  
"Come in." An angelic voice came from inside the hovel. "I have been waiting for you my child." The door swung open and the handsome young boy stepped inside. "My young prince." The beautiful voice sung. He jumped as a loud creak came from behind him, the decaying door slammed shut.  
  
"Hello?" He asked for the third time, searching around in the fire light for whoever owned the voice. Then, he saw her. Hiding in the corner of the room, draped in rags, was a lady. Mind you he could not see that she was a lady, but that sweet voice could not belong to a man. "Please. Show yourself." He asked, inching closer her.  
  
She stepped out of the shadows of the corner, "My prince." She said bowing in front of him. "I see that you are lost, allow me to help you find your way home."  
  
His heart lightened as a weight was lifted from it. "Thankyou," He smiled, and inched still closer to the lady, intrigued at what lay underneath the woman's hood. "I am very grateful."  
  
"And what fine manners you have for a young prince. Your mother must have raised you well."  
  
He hesitated momentarily. "I never knew my mother, ma'am. She died when I was a child."  
  
"Really?" The woman asked, sounding more annoyed then upset.  
  
The young prince nodded his head. "Yes, she was killed by an evil queen, a wicked haggard old queen. Father used to tell me stories about her, about how she was vile and how her heart was twisted. About how she was a liar, but mostly he told me that she was monster."  
  
Underneath her cape, the woman eyes were growing bright red with anger with every word he spoke.  
  
"Oh, is that right?" The woman asked, clenching her teeth to disguise the fury in her voice.  
  
The boy simply nodded.  
  
"And who told you that tall tale?"  
  
"It is no tall tale, ma'am. My Father old me all about the wicked old witch."  
  
This, for the woman, was the last straw. She drew back her hood, exposing her pearly white fangs and blazing red hair. "He is the liar!" Her angelic voice turned into a hiss, sending a shiver down his spine. "Tell me boy. Do you know anything else of your mother?"  
  
Cautiously, he shook his head. "Only that she died when I was young, and that she was a good woman, until the beast came along."  
  
"Beast!" The woman scoffed, her eyes blazing red like fire. "The only beast was your mother!"  
  
The little prince tried to take a step towards the door, but instead the woodwork burst into flames.  
  
"Your age boy!" The woman demanded. "Tell me your age."  
  
His eyes rapidly searched the room, trying to find another exit.  
  
"Your age boy!" She demanded again, this time moving closer to him. Her long fingernails looked like five razor sharp daggers on each hand.  
  
"To-tomorrow, I-I, will be f-five." He managed to stutter out.  
  
"Your birthday tomorrow!" She said, but there was something in her voice that he could tell that she already knew that.  
  
"Yes, tomorrow! Now I demand that you let me leave!" He commanded her, raising his voice a little. Although underneath his confident words, his blood was racing from fear.  
  
"Let you leave?" The woman threw her head back and cackled. "You demand that I let you leave?"  
  
"Y-yes!" He said, shuddering at her awful laugh. He saw an old cutting knife next to him and seized it quickly, clutching it readily in his hands. A knife was better then a wooden sword any day.  
  
"And what do you intend to do with that, dear boy?" She laughed again, amused at his defence.  
  
"You keep away from me, you old witch!"  
  
"Witch! You watch your words boy!" She flashed her razor sharp nails at him and gleamed her horrible smile.  
  
"Rahhh!" He yelled and lunged towards her, his blood racing with every beat of his heart.  
  
Her old bones were no match for his quick movements, and sure enough, his blade had driven into her stomach, ripping apart her flesh like a wild dog.  
  
Shocked and horrified, he looked down at his bloodstained hands, dropping the knife at his feet. His face turned ghostly white as he watched her blood splash onto the wooden floorboards below. The red droplets joined together, swirling like red raindrops and then ran down into the gaps in the floor. "I-I'm so sorry." He said, fighting the urge to vomit.  
  
"Sorry? Sorry!" She cried, slowly watching her own life drain away. "You're sorry my boy!" Her nostrils flared in anger, like a bull. "You have just killed me! And now you say you're sorry."  
  
"Yes." He cried, dropping own to his knees. He whimpered softly to himself, drawing in short, shallow breaths.  
  
"And you had the nerve to call me a beast!" She hissed at him, daggers shooting from her violet eyes. "Now it will be you who lives as the beast."  
  
The young prince looked up from his tears. 'What is she talking about?' He thought to himself, wiping away at the tear trails.  
  
Suddenly, a violent wind rushed inside, blowing open the wooden shutters. A pale moonbeam shone through the window. It was the last day of the full moon, a sparkle formed in her eyes as thoughts of revenge danced in her head. "By the moon, you killed me. By the moon you will live a life of pain!" She cackled terribly. Her hair stood up on end as she floated to her feet. The young prince backed up against the wall. His father had told him many stories at bedtime and so he knew well enough about the power of witches.  
  
"Dark forces of nature, I seek you great power,  
  
Put a beast in this boy, on my last dying hour.  
  
May he look like the beast in the light of the day,  
  
But corrupt his pure soul when the sun fades away.  
  
A beast in a man, then a man in a beast,  
  
But only in no moonlight, will the man be at peace.  
  
His life will be pain, until love's kiss turns the key,  
  
Will the beast then be banished, and the man be set free."  
  
A dark light flew in from the haunted forest, it swirled around the old lady before it dived inside the young prince. He screamed with pain as he dropped to the floor.  
  
"Now we will see who is the beast, boy!" She shouted at him and then with a last blood curdling cackled, she fell face first onto the floor.  
  
Not knowing exactly what just happened, he looked up around him, his face whiter then snow. She was slowly disappearing into the floorboards, melting into the ground. Calmly, he pushed himself up off the floor, acting as though nothing had just happened. There were no longer any tears flowing from his ocean eyes, in fact his eyes were no longer his own, their deep sapphire colour had been replaced with a black darker then oil. They had become hollow, void of any emotion. The darkness around him had become soothing, it was a new night, full of new possibilities. With a wicked grin, he brushed himself off and set off for home.  
  
A.N. FanFiction.net doesn't like to let me load it properly, so sorry I this is a little hard to read. I wish to sincerely thank everyone who has reviewed, it is you that keeps me going. Thankyou. 


	6. A Thorn amongst the Roses

The cool night breeze danced upon her naked skin. Alone, in the darkness, Serena stood overlooking the night. Above her, there was no moon tonight. As always, she stood up staring at the sky, thinking of her mother and her kingdom. The clouds wisped by like ghosts, passing her in the nights sky, always free. A tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto the cold stones below, she too wished that she were free. She had been alone for too long now, hiding in her room, hiding in the darkness. Her milky skin had since turned paler from the shadows, she longed for fresh air, for the warmth of touch. The hours turned into days, the days turned into weeks, and tonight, was officially a month since she had seen Fick. She had been alone since the day Fick was banished, alone for her safety, for her own protection.  
  
Softly, she sighed as she contemplated her life. He changed too drastically, too often. One moment, he was a soul gentler then her own, and the next, he was an animal, a beast. Nothing more. He was a mystery, a puzzle. A puzzle so twisted, that just when she thought she had solved him, she only found herself getting farther and farther away from the answer  
  
"Maybe the problem is me?" She said softly, whispering her thoughts to the frosty breeze. She thought of the way that she treated him, the way that she always turned her emotions on and off like a tap. Could she be what brings out the beast in him? "No. It is not me, he was a beast long before I arrived."  
  
She stared silently into the night, listening to the wind dancing around her. It was then she noticed something stirring in the garden below. The shadows of the night kept him well hidden, but she knew exactly who it was. A tender smile crept upon her lips, she was glad to see him, to see anyone. Thought her spirit had been broken, the fire inside of her still burned strong. Being left alone in her room for so long had left her longing for a campaigning, for anyone. Even for him.  
  
"Prince," She called, standing at the stone railings of the balcony. "Prince, will you ever permit me to leave this castle?" She asked him, "My jail." She muttered the last under her breath.  
  
He looked up at her, his body still cloaked in the darkness, but she could feel his eyes upon her. "Come to me, my princess." His longing for her surfaced in his voice, though the chill still laced his words.  
  
She had noticed the change once again; there was no harm in his tone. No malice or sin, just loneliness.  
  
"You are free to leave your quarters, but please, I ask that you come to me."  
  
Serena flared her nostrils in suspicion, an automatic reaction nowadays. 'Is he just playing with me again?' The thoughts ran through her mind, 'Will he try to hurt me, like he did before?' She looked down onto him, standing in the shadows in the middle of the rose garden.  
  
He could feel her uncertainty. "Princess, I will do you no harm. Come to me, I wish only to show you something." And with that, he threw up a brass key, the key to her freedom, even if it was only temporarily. The twisted metal fell at her feet making a pinging sound. For a moment, she stood and stared at it, unsure whether to touch it or not. Weighing up her choices: Freedom, with a beast, or a prisoner, forever alone.  
  
Her mind had already made the decision for her.  
  
With a slight nod of her head, she bent down to pick up the key and hurried over to the door.  
  
In the garden her waited, staring at a single rose. It's petals as red as blood, its scent sweeter then honey. He was mesmerised by its beauty, but her knew that this flower was a weed compared to her. He had waited almost a month for this night; he had kept her under lock and key for her own protection. Protection from him. But tonight, tonight was finally the night where he knew he could not harm her. The one night in the month when he was himself, truly himself. It was the night of the new moon. The night when the beast inside was dormant, where his soul was free. He could hear her footsteps coming closer. Their gentle clip-claps sounded like heavenly drumming.  
  
"Princess," He said, and extended out his hand. She paused. "Please, I wish to show you something."  
  
Hesitantly, she stepped forward into the darkness with him, taking his hand in hers. This felt right, for some strange reason to her. She felt like she belonged here, even if it was only for this moment.  
  
"It's dark," She said, trying to look at him. "I fear I cannot see a thing."  
  
"Shhh, don't be afraid." He beckoned. "It will not be for much longer. They will come out soon."  
  
"What?" She whispered, trying to keep her voice down for a reason unknown to her. "What is going to come out?"  
  
He pointed into the darkness of the tree line. "They are."  
  
Coming out of the woods was a light, a silvery glowing.  
  
"What are they?" She asked, mesmerised by the beauty of the twinkling.  
  
"Fireflies." He whispered into her ear softly. "They come here every night under the new moon, they like the roses."  
  
Slowly, the thousands of sparkling lights made their way close and closer, weaving in and out of the roses. In an elegant ballet they danced around the beast and his beauty, their gentle humming playing a melodic tune.  
  
She gazed up at him with stars in her eyes, it seamed the night was weaving its own magic. Suddenly, she gasped; for the first time, he looked different. His eyes were no longer like pools of black oil, instead, they were as beautiful as the morning sky. Blue sparkling diamonds, filled with love, hope, and beauty. She blushed momentarily as she stared at him, captivated by the soul within.  
  
As timid as a kitten, he extended his hand. "Would you like to dance?" He asked, their two eyes lost in each other's. With a gentle nod of her head, she placed her hand in his.  
  
The air around them sparkled as the two swirled under the twinkling lights. The rose garden shimmered as the fireflies rested on the petals. Looking like dewdrops that clung to the surface. Their eyes never left each other's, too afraid to look away in case this was all a dream they would wake up from.  
  
"Serena," He whispered, as he moved in closer to her. His arm wrapped around her back, embracing her every movement. A few of the fireflies rested on her head, making her golden hair light up as though it were covered with diamonds.  
  
"Yes." She moved in closer to him, she could feel the muscles under his shirt contract with every nervous breath that he took. She gazed up at him with her big blue eyes and repeated herself. "Yes,"  
  
He was lost for words, but he knew exactly what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to be honest with her, and tell her about the beast inside of him, about how he changes during the day. About how if she kissed him, even just one little kiss, that the spell would be broken, that he could finally be rid of the evil inside of him. He gazed into her glittering eyes. He wanted her to know his sorrow for the war, for the years of torment he put her through. He wanted to explain that it wasn't him that orchestrated it, that it was the beast inside. That the only thing that he had ever wanted in this world, was her. Was her love.  
  
"Yes," She repeated once again. Still she gazed at him with her innocent eyes, she could feel the thousands of thoughts running through his head. She could see the hurt in his eyes, those big, pretty eyes that she had lost herself in. Without thinking, she rose to her tiptoes and touched his lips with hers.  
  
The two embraced each other for what seamed like hours, their smooth lips brushing up against each other. Everything in their past melted from their memories, then suddenly, he pulled away.  
  
"What is it?" She asked innocently, her lips longing for more.  
  
"Sunrise." He whispered and looked over at the horizon.  
  
"It looks beautiful." She sung in his ear and wrapped her hands around his waist, her fingers tracing around his stomach.  
  
"No!" He said pushing her away violently. She fell to the ground, a layer of her china skin scraped off of her hands. "It didn't work." He gasped and looked at his arms. Already they had started to change. "It was supposed to work!" He shouted angrily, stirring the fireflies into a fleeing frenzy, their magic leaving with the night.  
  
Staring up from on the ground, she looked at him. Shocked that he had become a completely different person in a matter of heartbeats.  
  
Suddenly, he dashed back into the castle, cursing to himself with every step he took. He could feel the sunrise, its warm rays burned him, burned inside his heart. The fresh scent of dawn smelt rotten to him. It was the smell of his misery; usually he knew the dawn was coming long before he could see it, but he had failed to feel it this time. Failed to smell it, until it was too late. He ran up the dark flight of stairs and burst into his room. He had to find out, he had to see it for himself. "It had to work." He repeated. "She kissed me, she loves me. I love her, it had to work."  
  
He walked up to the mirror.  
  
"Rahhh!" He yelled and punched it with an abnormally hairy fist. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the shards of glass falling with his blood to the floor. The spell had not been broken. She was not the one. 


	7. The Comfort of the Darkness

A.N. This is more of a plead then anything else, but please do not flame me. If you have something constructive to say that may help me, then by all means do. But this is supposed to be controversial, and is not a Disney fairy tale. Hope you understand, but please keep reading.  
  
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To him, sleep had become a memory, a fairytale. He had not slept in days. His eyes had become puffy from tears, tears that had not stopped welling since he found out that she was not the one.  
  
"It can't be." He versed over and over to himself. "She had to be the one, she just had to be." He closed his eyes, pushing the last blue tear from his watery pools. Down below in the garden, a lone angel floated amongst the roses. Every night she had returned to that same spot, waiting for him to be with her again. Watching her from his perch high in the castle, he marvelled at her beauty. "I love her," He whispered softly, watching his angel. "I know that I love her, so, so that means," His voice was breaking from tears, the squeak of a mouse came forth. "That means that she doesn't love me." He paused for a moment, letting the cool breeze dance over his skin. "She doesn't love me." He said sadly again, another tear spilling forth and dropping onto the cold stone railing. For a moment he stared at the droplet, watching it turn to ice with the frosty air.  
  
"How dare she not love me!" He suddenly erupted, his icy breath spilling out his nostrils like a raging stallion. The blood inside madly pumped through his veins, anger mixing with hatred, mixing with grief. He looked down at his hands, tiny scratches still lay across his fingers from where he broke the mirror. He smiled dryly to himself. "Okay, princess. You don't love me, but I will give you good reason not to love me!" The cool wind turned arctic, chilling everything down to the bone. He gazed up at the night sky, the new moon was on its last day. "Soon, my princess, you will find good reason no to love me. The beast will be back inside me tomorrow night, and this time, I won't try to stop him." Another icy breeze blew his raven locks off of his face and with one graceful movement he turned and headed inside.  
  
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The dawn rose quickly the next day, almost in anticipation for what danger lay ahead in the night. Serena, rose quickly, she too had barely slept at all since they had shared that tender moment. "I can't believe it." She murmured to herself as she worked away at a stain on the bearskin rug, she continued with her chores everyday, even though he no longer assigned any to her. "Why did he do that? That look that was in his eyes. Grrr!" She complained to herself and applied a bit more elbow grease to the stain. She could feel his eyes upon her, like always. She could feel him watching her, staring at her for hours from the shadows. It used to anger her, but after over a month of being silent stalked, she had grown use to it, always ignoring him like she was oblivious. Yet still she felt ill at ease, like she was a dying animal and he was a vulture. She scrubbed harder and harder at the stain, working out her frustrations on the rug, "He shouldn't have looked like that!" She said angrily, upset that he could have such a vile look on his face after they shared their kiss, she had been fixed on their moment ever since it happened. "Oh, I can't believe him!" The anger inside of her was building up, rekindling her old hatred for the man. "He hurt my friends, my kingdom, he stole me from my mother. He made me work like a slave." She was creating a fine hole in the carpet as she continued to spit through her teeth. "He treats me like a slave, and just, just, just when he finally shows a twinkle of kindness, of humanity. ARGH!" She vented angrily, her blood boiling with bitterness. She looked up into the shadows where he was hiding. "Who are you!" She yelled angrily at the darkness. "Huh! Answer me, I know that you are there!" She stood up facing the darkness ahead of her. "I will tell you what you are." She spat. "You might be handsome, and you might look like a prince, but I know who you really are. No wait, I know What you really are." He eyes blazed red with anger, red tears welling in her blood shot eyes. "You're a beast. Pure and simple." She dropped her scrubbing brush and raced up the stairs, intent on striking him where he stood. "You hear me?" She said between panting breaths as she galloped up the stairs. "You are a beast! An ugly, twisted, hateful, manipulative, disgusting, vile, hurtful, cruel, sadistic, ruthless, uncaring." She was slowly running out of words. "Awful, mean, revolting and nasty. A, a, a beast!" Her tears flowed off her face as she finally reached the shadows. Using all of her might, she swung a right hook into the darkness, but her fist connected with nothing. He wasn't there.  
  
Her blood finally cooled, but replaced with sadness. In a crying heap, she dropped to the ground and watched the tears roll from her eyes. "Nothing but a beast." She cried to herself, but her fiery spirit still wasn't broken. "A beast." She sobbed again. 'So why does he hurt me so much?' she cried.  
  
He slinked away from his new hiding place; he had seen everything that had just happened. His heart was breaking with hers and like the brooding animal that he was, he turned and sneaked back to his room.  
  
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Dusk.  
  
The orange sun fell quickly, coating the world in blackness once again. From his perch overlooking the coal stained forest, he watched and waited for the change. His soul was in pain, slowly dying from sorrow. He wanted it to stop, he wanted his suffering to end. He was sick of trying to protect her every night, trying to protect the woman who he loved so much, even though he didn't know why. Even though she did not reciprocate his feelings. His insides started to turn, he could feel the change starting to happen. He could feel the goodness that was inside of him evaporate, and he did not care, he longed for the peace that the darkness brought. The last of the orange glow faded, revealing a crescent moon rising high above in the night sky.  
  
His body started to change, his broad stature started to change into that of a man's. His face changed too, returning to his normal handsome self. Looking up at the moon, he let its pure moonbeams fall upon his skin. He smiled slyly to himself, he no longer heard that annoying little do good voice inside his head. It was time.  
  
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"Oh princess," A loud rap came at her door, shaking the dust that had settled upon its surface. "My beautiful angel, I want to talk to you." He sung in a seductive voice.  
  
"What do you want?" A weeping voice trembled from inside. "I don't want to speak to you!"  
  
"But I want to apologise." He said, putting on his most sincere voice. An act.  
  
She walked over to the door, her dainty footsteps clicking with each step. "Fine, apologise and leave me." She replied in her most regal tone.  
  
"I want to see you. Please my angel, just open up the door." He heard the key turn in its lock, his stomach turned with excitement. With a huge push, he flung the door open, sending Serena flying off her feet. Her eyes widened with fear as he barged into the room, his muscles flexing with desire.  
  
"Now, you are finally mine." .  
  
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	8. Trapped

"Please. Leave my room." She pleaded, scurrying back against the wall on her hands and knees. "I insist that you leave this instant." She swallowed the boulder that was trapped inside her throat, hoping that he would not see her fear.  
  
"I have had enough of your demands." He simply grinned, his voice was cold yet smooth. In his eyes a flicker of mischief beamed brightly, scotching her soul. "You forget your place here, my angel. You are a slave, pure and simple and it is time that you started acting like it." Slowly he unbuttoned his shirt, letting the silky, black material unveil his stomach like it was a masterpiece, and it was. "Do you hear me? You are a slave. You are MY slave!" Slowly he stepped towards her, each step pounding with the beat of her own heart. He was getting heated, the blood rushed throughout his body, boiling with anger, lust and longing.  
  
"You keep your distance." She yelled at him and sprung up off the floor. "Do you hear me?" Her heart was racing now, she exactly knew what he was thinking, what he wanted to do. She raced over to her bed and grabbed her bag that was resting at its foot. "Keep away!" She shouted again as she desperately rummaged through its contents. Her hand stirred through the bag like a whisk, churning the contents and spilling them out onto the floor. He loved this; he could smell her fear, her distress, and every jerky movement that she made only turned him on even more.  
  
"Come to me," He called, his voice as silky as chocolate.  
  
She drew in a deep breath and then spat out her anger at him. Her saliva pierced the air like a bullet and collided with his eye, she couldn't help but smile. "Fuck you!" She screamed.  
  
"That is what I was hoping," He smirked through his sinful smile. "You are mine, angel, and you need to learn that." He bounded over to her and threw her onto the bed, pinning her down with his strapping body.  
  
"Get off of me!" She screamed at him and tore at his back with her fingernails. He smiled through the pain, enjoying every invigorating touch. "Get off me!" She shrieked again.  
  
"First lesson of being a slave." His stifling breath clung to her body. "Always please your master." He said as he bent down to kiss her tender lips.  
  
She felt down on the floor below her and found her bag. With one hand still pushing him off, she desperately clawed through her belongings, trying to find her salvation. Suddenly, her shaking hand grasped a cold handle. Seizing it, she ripped it up out of her bag and sliced his arm.  
  
"Aahhh!" He bellowed, the baritone shaking the dust from off the eves. He grabbed his bloodied limb, still screaming in agony, his red blood staining her below. In his moment of shock, she slid out from underneath him and raced out of the room. "Get back here!" He yelled after, but her feet never stopped moving.  
  
Sweat rolled down from her brow and splashed onto her blood stained dress. She raced throughout the hallway, her heart racing with her feet. The shadows closed in on her, reaching out and breathing their icy breath onto her skin. Then suddenly, her running stopped, she had reached a dead end. She stood motionless, still trembling but too afraid to breathe, there was only one place that she could go: into his room.  
  
"Dam," She cursed to herself under her breath and reached for the icy doorknob. Slowly, she opened the door, not sure on what she might find in there. A bright moonbeam streamed in through the gaps in the curtain and blinded her temporarily. Trying to focus her eyes, she walked over and pulled the black drapes apart, bathing the room in light. The floor started sparkling strangely as light was reflected off its surface. She bent down to touch it but sliced her finger open, there were thousands of shards of mirror all over the floor. Serena looked around the room. Over each wall, were hollow frames, some still had a few broken pieces of mirror still attached to the woodwork. She shivered at the sight.  
  
"Angel? Where a you hiding angel?" A velvety voice sang from outside. Serena could hear doors from other rooms being kicked open, he was searching for her, and he was drawing nearer. Her heart started racing again as she scanned the room, hoping to find a hiding place where she could disappear. No such luck.  
  
His room was not like hers; his was smaller, almost like a cell. She raced over to the mattress where he slept, hoping that she might take cover beneath the blankets. A cloud of dust stirred as she jumped onto the bed, he obviously didn't sleep in it. In fact, she had never known him *to* sleep.  
  
"I am getting closer, angel." That cold voice echoed out from the hallway.  
  
'The curtains.' She thought to herself, her blood racing throughout her body as she rushed over to the drapes and wrapped them around her. Tightly in her hand she clutched her dagger, praying that she wouldn't have to use it again. Suddenly the bedroom door flung open.  
  
The room fell eerily quiet, so quiet that her heartbeat sounded like Congo drums. She could hear each creaking step he took, inevitably growing closer and closer.  
  
"Oh, I wonder where my little angel has gotten to." He sang in a child like voice. "She has to be around here somewhere."  
  
A silver tear rolled down her face. "Please don't let him find me. Please don't let him find me." But her hiding skills were as adept as a child's. He ripped open the curtain, pulling it off its rod.  
  
"There you are," He said and quickly snatched the dagger out of her shaking hands. "Now, now, now, this is not a toy." He threw it away effortlessly, it spun through the air and imbedded itself into the far wall.  
  
"Please," She begged as she felt his icy breath upon her neck.  
  
"Please?" He scoffed. "It's a little late for being polite, don't you think? No princess." He licked her face, drinking the silver tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "Don't cry princess, I am not going to hurt you."  
  
She looked up at him, her big blue eyes swelling with tears. "Too bad," She said, her anger burning with the water. "Because I am going to hurt you." She swiftly kicked him in the groin. In a heap he keeled over, cradling his privates. She raised her elbow and smashed the window behind her, spraying her body in shards of glass and blood. In his pain he lost his balance and fell over backwards, allowing her enough time to flee out the window behind her and onto the balcony.  
  
Her heart was still racing, and now her skin crawled as the frosty air infected her cuts, stinging them like antiseptic. Panting, she gazed out over the edge, knowing that she didn't have much time before he composed himself again. It was a long way down, the drop seamed to plummet forever, ending in a thicket of thorny rosebushes.  
  
She had no other choice. She had to jump.  
  
"Angel." His voice bellowed from inside, he was far beyond angry.  
  
"On three." She whispered to herself and stepped up onto the railing.  
  
"One." She closed her eyes; her heart pounded wildly, desperately trying to break free of its cage.  
  
"Two." She leaned forward, a silvery tear rolled off of her cheek and plunged towards it's thorny grave. She swallowed and felt the lump scrape her throat on the way down.  
  
"ANGEL!"  
  
"Three." She let go of the railing, plummeting to either her death, or her salvation.  
  
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Meanwhile: Back in the White Moon Kingdom.  
  
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A lone woman gazed out at the endless diamond sky, sighing softly to herself. The earth had been covered in shadows; the darkness was now roaming upon its surface, suffocating everything that the blackness touched. She could feel that there was something wrong. Ever since her daughter left, she had felt ill at ease, but now she felt sick, like her insides were being poisoned, like she was about to die. Something bad was happening to Serena and there was little she could do about it. Leaning over the stone railings, she sighed, letting the cool night air dance upon her skin, trying to feel anything else besides the sickness inside of her.  
  
"My Lady," An apologetic voice came from somewhere inside her chambers. Turning, and leaving her thoughts behind she headed inside her room. Delicately drawing apart the lace curtains.  
  
"Athos," She spoke softly, almost upset to see the man. "Tell me, what news have you brought me?" She no longer tried to mask the desperation in her voice.  
  
"Well, my lady." He spoke, taking his hat off his head and ushering her to a chair. Politely, she refused to sit down.  
  
"Please Athos, just tell me."  
  
"The beast has her trapped, she is forbidden to leave the castle."  
  
"Yes, yes, yes. This I already know, Athos. What about Serena? Is she alright?"  
  
Athos smiled and nodded. "She has your strength, my lady. Princess Serena is fine."  
  
The worried scowl disappeared off her face. "Oh, Serena." She whispered to herself, lost once again in her memories.  
  
"Umm, my lady." His words broke her trance. "We have had sufficient time to gather what you requested. There is an army waiting for you outside the south wing."  
  
"An army?" Her poisoned heart lifted. "Of how many?"  
  
"Four, and myself."  
  
"So little of you?" She asked, the fear of forever loosing her daughter finally rolling in her stomach.  
  
"Yes, but my men are ready and raring to fight for the honour of our kingdom. They all will destroy this beast, they swear this on their very lives on this." Athos approached his grief stricken queen, his head bowing slightly. "They may be few, but they have the spirit of many." He paused for a moment, looking into her soulful, silvery eyes. "My lady, we WILL get her back. You have my word."  
  
"Thank you Athos." She said and placed a kind hand upon his shoulder. "I only pray that you all will return to me safely."  
  
He blushed momentarily. "We shall do, it is a promise."  
  
"You must go now." She said, destroying any serenity in the air. "Leave when the earth is no longer bathed with the darkness. Athos, find him, and." A sparkle of hatred burned in her voice. "Athos, I don't want him to take her again. Do you understand me?"  
  
"Yes my lady." He said and bowed, half shocked at her words. "I will finish him myself."  
  
She fell silent, her grim words sending a chill down her spine. She could have never believed that she could be so callous, it left a foul taste in her mouth. But he had destroyed her kingdom, killed her people, and taken her only daughter. "For this he will pay." She gritted through her teeth.  
  
"Beg your pardon, my lady?"  
  
"Nothing. Good luck, Athos." She said and kissed him softly on his cheek.  
  
He bowed one final time and left her chambers. Leaving her in the darkness to be consumed by her own thoughts, to drown in her painful memories. 


	9. Dawns Beginings

"Three." She let go of the railing, plummeting to either her death, or her salvation. .  
  
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Her bones vibrated like a machine gun, as she crash upon the stony ground. For a moment she lay motionless on the floor, "Get up Serena," She ordered herself. "Just get up." The world seamed to pause around her, "You're not dead, you're in too much pain to be dead, so get up." Her inner voice screamed at her. Body aching, she opened up her eyes. 'I made it,' she thought to herself, semi relived.  
  
"Angel!"  
  
The booming voice sliced through her celebrations, softly she moaned as she pushed on her arms to get up off the ground. A thick fog suffocated the air around her, making it almost impossible for her to see, impossible for her to breathe.  
  
"ANGEL!" The icy voice cut thought the fog like a knife. Suddenly, she felt the ground below her shake. He too, had jumped off the balcony and now the choking haze was the only protection she had from him.  
  
She raced through the fog, panting with every step that she took. Each gasp she took froze her lungs, her throat burning with each arctic breath. For a split second, she gazed up at the moon, its ghostly beam illuminating the fog like sprits lost in the night. A single silvery tear slipped out of her eyes as she sliced her way through the haze. She knew exactly where she was going, the woods. Though as dark and uninviting as they were, it was a far better place to be, then to be back with him. Back with the beast. Suddenly, the fog cleared and she could see the shadows of the tree line ahead, "Just a few more steps to go," She lied through painful breaths, ignoring the fact that the shadows of the trees were still quite far away. With every ounce of strength in her throbbing body, she pushed towards the darkness, hoping to be swallowed up by its icy touch and disappear into the blackness forever. Better the woods icy touch then his. Her feet pounded on the floor, jarring with every movement. Her white dress had become torn and stained with dirt and blood. Her hair fell around her face in shambles, 'Only a few steps to go.' She lied to herself again. Rocks slipped from underneath her feet, but somehow miraculously, she kept her balance. Blood pumping, bones aching, brain exhausted, her body slicing through the cold night air. 'Only a few steps to go.' Already she could feel the comfort of the endless darkness.  
  
Suddenly, something pulled on her hair, using her golden locks as reigns. She spun around, ready to thrash at whomever was holding her, but she was thrown down onto the stony ground, crying out in pain as a rock imbedded itself into her back. Helpless, she tried to back away, inching closer and closer to the darkness of the woods, but something pinned her down, a large form on top of her own.  
  
"Please." She begged, she no longer had energy left to fight. A musty breath blew over her trembling neck. He had found her. After all of that running, all that screaming and crying and fighting: he had still found her. He had won.  
"Please," She begged him again, her bruised lip still trembling with fear. She stared into his black eyes; this was a side of him that she had almost forgotten. All those days in the castle, those times when she thought that she saw something else within the beast. Something kind, loving. Something warm and caring. A soul.  
  
Now, that spark of whatever kindness was there had left him, and was now replaced by lustful eyes and a wicked smile. The same smile that had destroyed her kingdom, the same smile that had murdered her countrymen, threatened her life and broken her mother's once strong spirit. A tear spilled out of her misty eyes, as she remembered the pain he had put her through. 'I must have been blind.' She cursed herself. 'To think that there could have been anything kind within him.' She felt disgusted as the words festered in her mind, angry and alone she gathered up a wad of spit and shot it into his eye.  
  
"See, that's what I like about you, baby." He smiled as he wiped the saliva from his eye, "You so feisty, I like that in my women." He leaned in close to her ear, his steady breathing was almost deafening. "My little stallion," he purred.  
  
His words send the cold truth through her head; she would never give into him. She felt behind her for the jagged rock that was digging into her back letting out a small groan while trying to get it loose.  
  
"See, I knew you would like this." His musty words stained her skin.  
  
"Come closer." She said, in her most seductive voice. Like a lapdog, he obeyed, moving his face closer to hers. With a huge swing, she struck the rock across his temple, sending him flying off of her and into the fading fog.  
  
"Get up, Serena." She said to herself, trying to push her weary body up off the ground.  
  
"Oh no you don't." He roared and appeared out of the fog, grabbing her by her waist. "You are mine. You hear me!" He pushed her back onto the ground. "Stop fighting this, angel. It is inevitability."  
  
She closed her misty eyes, as she felt the flame inside of her slowly dying.  
  
Suddenly, the sky was streaked with a vibrant orange glow. The light burst out from behind the mountains, staining the dawn sky with a wash of fiery colours.  
  
"Sunrise." The beast whispered, his eyes strangely turning white with fear. His hand that was stoking her stomach started to change, swelling with thick black hairs. "No!" He gasped, as he leapt off of her, stunned and afraid by the approaching sunlight. "Not yet!" He shouted. "You're not getting out this time." He appeared to be talking to himself. His clothes ripped open at the seams as floods of ebony hair enveloped his body. Serena stared on in awe, not sure what to do. The burning sun finally blistered the sky, soaking the land in light and banishing the fog with the darkness.  
  
"NO!" He let out one final roar, before completely changing into a hideous, hairy, beast.  
  
Silence.  
  
Silence so quiet, it felt like the world had died. With tears in his sapphire eyes, the beast looked up at the distraught girl. "Princess? Is that you? God, are you all right? I am so sorry." He wept, slowly moving closer to the paralysed girl.  
  
With an ear piecing noise, she let out a scream and ran straight into the forest.  
  
"Not that way!" He yelled after the fleeing girl. "Serena, NO!"  
  
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Sticks clipped her ivory legs, her scarlet blood rolled down in beads. The woods were far beyond dark and gloomy, even with the sunrise they were shrouded in a heavy blanket of shadows making it almost impossible to see what lay ahead. Water continued to stream off of her tear soaked face, her legs weary from running, her body wearing from fighting.  
  
"Mother." She cried silently to herself, never stopping her running. Suddenly, she screamed as her foot plunged down a small hole and like a ton of bricks, a very weary ton of bricks, she fell face first into the decaying earth. Panting like an animal, she looked up around her, brushing away at the twigs and dead leaves that had stuck in her hair. She looked down at her hands, blood trailing down her forearms and dropping off at her elbows. "I just want it to end." She screamed into the shadows, "I want it all to stop."  
  
A lone wolf howled, interrupted her cries. Afraid, she looked around her and spotted a large pair of red eyes slowly moving closer towards her.  
  
"Show yourself!" She demanded, as though she was talking to a person. Suddenly, the eyes leapt closer to her, exposing the form of a black wolf, hungry. It's fangs dripping with saliva. Wasting no time, she pushed herself up off the floor and ran as fast as she could. Her bones aching with each hammering step she took. The tree branches lashed out at her, her cries echoed throughout the blackness. She fled deeper into the woods, to afraid to turn around. Suddenly, the entrapment of trees ended, leaving her to stand in a clearing with only a sheer cliff face in front of her.  
  
She swung around in panic, only to face a terrifying pair of fangs. The wolf leapt towards her, jumping high enough to tear at her face. Suddenly, just as the rabid animal was about to rip into her flesh, something grabbed at its hind legs and pulled it back.  
  
With a yelp it was thrown into a tree, its bones making a loud crack its body wrapped around the trunk and then fell lifeless to the floor. Petrified, she looked up, her eyes blurry from tears.  
  
"Please, don't run. I am not going to hurt you." A voice came out from in front of her.  
  
She rubbed her eyes, squeezing the last tear forth. Standing in front of her was something far more frightening then the wolf she had just encountered and twice as hairy. A giant, covered with ebony hair, a coat that glistened under the dawns early light. He too, had fangs, white and sharp, and a nose that looked as moist as her eyes. He looked like the giant offspring of a bull and a puma, misshaped in everyway. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, should she run? Should she scream? Should she attack it with every ounce of strength left in her body?  
  
"Please." The beast begged again. "I promise I won't hurt you."  
  
On the other hand, he had just saved her life.  
  
"Who? Who are you?" She asked, and stared into a pair of familiar sapphire eyes.  
  
"I am sorry." He said and knelt down at her feet. "I am sorry for everything I have done to you."  
  
"It, it can't be." She said, and stretched forth her hand, wanting to touch his shiny coat. Instinctively, he pulled away. "Beast? Is that you?" Instantly, she regretted her words.  
  
"Yes. I am a beast." He said in a sombre tone, his voice more sad then angry.  
  
"What? When? H-how is this possible?"  
  
"It no longer matters. Princess, you are free to go." He closed his eyes and turned away from her.  
  
For a moment, she swore that she saw a tear roll from his eyes; she turned him around so that she could see his shaggy face. "What happened to you?"  
  
"You don't belong here, among the empty rooms and frozen hearts. You must go."  
  
"Why," Her fear was slowly fading.  
  
"Your heart may be pure, but it would soon be corrupted by the evil that lies in these forests. Or by the evil." He hesitated. "Or by the evil that lies in me."  
  
She stared deeply into his soulful eyes. "How is it that I see no evil in you?" She asked. "You have changed."  
  
"Please, just go. Leave me to lie in peace, you only do my heart sadness."  
  
"Why won't you tell me?" She insisted, "Just before, you, you were a monster, and now you are different. How could that be? Who are you?"  
  
"Who am I?" He repeated angrily and snatched her hand. "This is who I am." He said and ran her hand along his furry coat. "I am a beast, nothing more! You, however, are a princess. You don't belong here. This is who I am." He said and backed away from her. "This is who I am, and you deserve better."  
  
She went to open her mouth to say something, but she hesitated.  
  
"So who do you see? Hmm?" He asked her, his anger fading away.  
  
"I see.. I see." Her mind came up with no good answer.  
  
"You don't have to pity me." He said sadly. Awkwardly, the two of them stayed perfectly still, as silent as deep space. "Come," he said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I will escort you back to the castle, there you can gather your belongings and return home."  
  
"But."  
  
"Don't Serena." He uttered. She was shocked; this was the first time that he had called her by her name. "Look, I know that you don't care for me and you no longer have to pretend to." He sighed and drew in a deep breath. "You only hurt me when you are near. Please, just leave, it is for the best." And with that, he led her back through the woods, to return to the dark castle one last time.  
  
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A.N~ Sorry it took me a while to get this chapter up. This is not the end; there will be more chapters to go. Have a great day everybody ^_^ 


	10. The Soul Within

An angel glowed in the entrance, her blonde hair covering her face in a field of golden wisps. She stared lifelessly at the rotting door in front of her, it no longer towered above the beauty like a giant, now it was smaller, and it was in reach of her delicate grasp. She placed her slender fingers on the handler and shivered as she felt its cold brass. "I am leaving now." Her words sung like a chorus, echoing in the dust-ridden corners of the castle. She received no reply; instead she was grasped only by the frozen silence of a thousand empty hearts. She spun around like a top to face the shadows, her cerulean eyes having trouble adjusting to the endless black. "I said I will be leaving now." She could hear her own throat crack with emotions, and the pain in her eyes return. The pain that tears bring. 'Don't cry, Serena. Don't you dare cry! You should be happy, you are free.' She swallowed the lump in her throat, it scratched and ripped all the way down. She looked away from the darkness and closed her eyes for a moment, a blue tear spilled forth from her cerulean eyes.  
  
Upstairs in the shadows, always in the shadows, he was watching her. Frozen in time like a star, forever to burn on the inside, but unable to move. His emotions swept through him like a storm raging in the night, tearing him apart. "Please don't leave me." He whispered so slightly, the only sign of his words were his vibrating lips. "Serena, Please don't go." Again his words were to soft to even stir the air. Rendered helpless from emotion, he watched as she ripped apart the doors, bathing herself in the pure light of the dawn.  
  
"Goodbye." She whispered softly, her voice to teary to be any louder. For some strange reason she felt ill, her stomach twisted in knots, her throat was cut and her heart ached; yet she didn't understand why.  
  
"Goodbye." He whispered into the shadows around him, and then watched as she melted away into the white light. 'This is the way it should be.' The voice ran though his head. 'That is where she belongs.'  
  
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~*~*~*~*~~*  
  
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"Serena? Serena, are you in here?" A silvery haired woman glided into the room carrying a crystal tray overflowing with food. "Serena?" She called again, her melodious voice ringing throughout the room. The lace curtains danced upon the cool night air, parting away gracefully to reveal a saddened girl on the balcony. "Oh, Serena." She said, placing the tray on the floor and walking out into the night.  
  
"Here you are." Queen Serenity whispered as she wrapped her arms possessively around her daughter's waist. "I thought that I had lost you again." She placed a kiss upon her cheek.  
  
Serena seamed untouched by her presence.  
  
"I missed you so much. You know, when I saw you walk through the palace gates this morning; I thought that you were my imagination. I thought you to be an angel, oh Serena, you have no idea how worried I was." She clasped her tighter, nearly robbing the girl of her breath, but Serena remained lifeless, staring blankly out into the sky. "I am just glad you came back to me in one piece."  
  
"Of coarse I did!" Serena swung around, her mother's last comment snapping her out of her trance.  
  
"Shh, Okay, sweetie. I just mean that I am just glad you are home, where you belong."  
  
Serena stared back out into space, ignoring Serenity once again. "Mother, what do you know of him?" Her thoughts slipped out from her mouth.  
  
"Hmm? Know what of who?"  
  
Serena's eyes flashed an angry red for a second, but then returned to a foggy blue. "Him," she said, pointing to the planet that was hovering in the distance. "Why is he like that? What happened to him?"  
  
Serenity fell silent for a moment, pondering her words carefully. "Not much, only rumours." She replied.  
  
"Rumours, like what?"  
  
"Rumours about a boy, lost in the woods. Cursed by an old witch who stole his soul." Again she paused. "Like I said, only rumours." Serenity turned to go back inside, but stopped as she felt a desperate grip on her arm.  
  
"Mother, please, I want to know." She begged, turning to meet her mother's silvery gaze. She could see that Serenity was trying to conceal something, it was written all over her face.  
  
Serenity paused again, staring at the blue and green ball hovering amongst the blackness. "The witches spell failed though, the boy's soul was so pure, that it could not be extinguished by evil. So instead his soul lay dormant deep inside the shadows of his own body, only permitted to surface by daylight. But by moonlight, the evil inside him takes over, vengeful and wicked." She spat out the last of her words. "The evil is always there, Serena, and always will be."  
  
"But why does he look, in the daylight, look like that?" She stumered out, her heart and her mind were having a hard time grasping his situation.  
  
"You mean, like a beast?" Serenity answered solemnly. "That is what the evil looks like, Serena. The beast's soul may come out at night, but his body comes out by day."  
  
Serena fell silent; inside of her everything had just shattered. She could hear her heart fall and break on the floor, but at the same time, she was happy, happy because she had finally found the answers that she had been searching for.  
  
"Darling? Are you alright?" Serenity asked and placed her formal hand upon her shoulder.  
  
Coldly, Serena twisted and moved it off. "How could you not tell me this!" She erupted, her silvery tears welling up inside once again. "Don't you get it mother? He is not evil. He never was, it was that thing inside of him. I can't believe that you didn't tell me this before."  
  
"Yes, but he could have still stopped it!" She shouted back, the same fiery glow burning in her eyes. "He could have stopped all of the bloodshed, instead he just stood by and let it happen. Don't you care about that?" She asked, a spray of angry saliva shooting from her royal mouth. "He could still have controlled the beast inside, he could have stopped it all!"  
  
Serena paused for a moment, half in shock. She had never fought with her mother before, never like this. She felt sick inside her stomach, "Of course I care." She said calmly, trying to reduce the tension in the air. "But you don't know him like I do. There is still good inside of him, he just forgot that he had it." She met her mother's gaze, hoping to see something other then hatred staring back. "He is good, trust me. Inside of him is a pure heart, a heart worth saving."  
  
"Oh, no." Serenity gasped, taking a step back to have a good look at her daughter.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You." She said, and brushed aside a strand of her daughter's golden hair. "You love him." She sounded almost disgusted at the idea.  
  
"No." She denied, but was uncovered by the blush creeping over her face. "I don't, I just feel sorry for him, that's all." She looked at her mother who was shaking her head from side to side. "Look, I don't. Trust me, I don't." She blushed again. "I don't." The words tasted like acid on her tongue.  
  
"Yes," She sighed, but then smiled sweetly. "You do."  
  
They both stared at each other for a moment, but then suddenly Serena ran back inside.  
  
"Where are you going?" Serenity called, grabbing her arm tightly as she ran past.  
  
"To see him, mother. You're right. I think I do." She said with a spark glowing from inside of her. She smiled warmly, a genuine smile that had not surfaced itself for years.  
  
"Please don't." Serenity said abruptly, a grievant look upon her face. "Just stay here."  
  
"What? Why?" She laughed and tried to wriggle herself free, but Serenity's grip did not loosen. "Mother?" She asked, suddenly concerned about the look upon her face. "Why?"  
  
"I just don't want to loose you. Don't go."  
  
"Mother," She laughed half-heartedly again and tried to get free of Serenity's vicelike grip, suddenly she grew desperate. "Mother why!"  
  
"Because he won't be there." She whispered softly, silvery tears of sadness glowing in her eyes.  
  
"What? What are you talking about? Mother?" Her heart splintered like thin ice, she could feel it about to break. "Mother what have you done?" She said angrily.  
  
"Athos has gone to him, daughter please, you must understand. It was for your own good."  
  
She pushed Serenity off of her. "What? How could you?" She spat angrily. "What have you done!"  
  
"I was only trying to do the right thing by you." Her silvery tears stained her dress, never had she been so heartbroken. "It would be over by now, Athos was to arrive at Earth's sunset, just before dusk. Daughter, forget him. Please." She received a frosty look from Serena. "Please, forgive me." She dropped to her knees and sobbed.  
  
But Serena didn't hear her pleas. Her eyes were fixed towards the Earth; already it had started to fade with the approaching darkness. She pulled away from Serenity's icy grip, her face white with fear. "No." The ghostly girl whispered and ran out of the room, leaving nothing but a salty spray behind her.  
  
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In his palace: Dusk.  
  
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A ghostly figure stood in the doorway, the shadows masking the figure's skin like an onyx cloak.  
  
"Serena? Serena is that you?" A croaky voice came from somewhere in the room, quiet, yet excited.  
  
The ghostly figure spat onto the ground. "As if it would ever be." He answered spitefully. "You vile creature, you will pay for everything you have ever done to us." He rushed into the room, screaming a battle cry at the top of his lungs. His icy blade sliced through the air, slashing at everything in the room. His movements were erratic, graceless, fuelled by anger and hatred.  
  
"Show yourself." He demanded into the darkness. His fanatical swings sliced throughout the air, his blade catching on one of the dark purple drapes and ripped it open, letting in a shower of the fading twilight. The room was immediately bathed in gold; he scanned the room, looking for his target. Probably hiding in the remaining shadows like a coward, suddenly, a flash of blue eyes stared at him from in the darkness of the corner. "Get out from there!" He yelled, readying his blade. His blood was boiling, raging with anger. "Get out from there!" He screamed again, sweat dripping off his brown and staining the ground below like acid.  
  
Reluctantly, the beast stepped forward into the light.  
  
"What? What are you?" Athos gasped, taking a step back. There was no reply. "Disgusting." He spat on the floor again. "Look at you! You're a freak, a disease." He had gotten over his shock "That's what you are; a vile, disgusting, merciless freak!" Athos thrust his sword towards the beast's chest, but the oversized animal simply stepped aside and retreated once again to the shadows. "Fight me!" Athos yelled and pulled his sword back, but again there was no reply. "I said fight me, Beast!"  
  
"I do not wish to fight you. Do what you will, and then leave my castle." He said emotionless and stepped further into the darkness, however his tall frame was unable to hide this time.  
  
"And what if I wish to kill you." He said through his clenched teeth, slowly, he raised his blade and pointed it towards the beast. "Huh? What if I wish to kill you?"  
  
The emotionless look on his face did not change. "Then do it, for I will not care." The beast's voice was as bland as water.  
  
"Fight me!" Athos's desperate voice echoed throughout the empty rooms.  
  
"Leave me!" The beast echoed Athos's intensity and stepped forward towards his rival.  
  
Athos swung his sword around and walloped him with the hilt across the side of his face.  
  
"I said fight, you coward."  
  
"I will not fight you!" He yelled and stepped quickly out of the room. Athos charged after him and jumped him from behind, using all of his bulk to pull the beast down to the ground. Together, the two of them went tumbling into the staircase; landing at its foot with Athos perched on top.  
  
"Why do you not fight?" He yelled, angry saliva spitting from the gaps between his teeth. His right hook connected with a wad of fur, before he held his sword above the beast's heart. "Answer me! Why do you not wish to fight?"  
  
"Because I deserve to die!" He yelled back, his blue eyes as misty as the ocean.  
  
Everything went silent; his answer shocked even the dust in the corners. Athos was completely stunned, but only for a moment. Suddenly, the front door burst open, making the remaining shadows scatter like thieves. In the doorway stood an angel, dressed in white, the fading sunlight and her golden hair dancing behind her.  
  
"Serena." He breathed, turning his head to the side to face the vision.  
  
"She is the princess, you vile creature. How dare you call her by her name!" Athos drew back his sword violently. Then with one effortless motion, he drove it straight into the beast's chest.  
  
"No!" Cried the angel as she came running into the room. "Beast!" She cried again, silvery tears streaming off of her pale cheeks. With one foul movement, she pushed the perched Athos off and sent him flying into the banister. "Please," She begged, placing her hands over the wound to try to stop the bleeding. "Please don't leave me." She sobbed.  
  
"You came back." He coughed, his voice weak from tears. "You came back to me."  
  
"Of coarse I did. I am so sorry." She sobbed, she looked down at her hands; a river of crimson blood was spilling through the gaps in her fingers. She buried her head into his neck and whispered into his ear. "I am so sorry that I left you here alone."  
  
"Shh." He hushed her and cradled her delicate head in his hands. "No, don't cry. Not for me." He wiped away at her tears and stared deeply into her bloodshot eyes. "I am the one who is sorry. Sorry for all I have done." He hushed her softly. "This is a good thing, my princess; I needed to find redemption, redemption for all the evil I have done."  
  
"No." She sobbed again, and stared at him angrily. "You have been punished enough. You have lived your life fighting the evil inside of you." She spoke though clenched teeth. "Don't apologise, it wasn't you who did those terrible things. You hear me!"  
  
She lifted her teary gaze off of his and stared daggers over at Athos. "How dare you!" She spat at him, her nostrils flaring in anger. "Leave us, go. Get help. Get something!" She screamed. Her face was ghostly white, no longer did she look like the perfect angel, now she looked like a human. A human in pain. She looked down at her blood stained hands, his blood spilling down his chest and onto the floor. "Please just hold on, you can't go, not yet."  
  
"Shh. Don't worry about me Serena," He said, blinking his glassy eyes. "At least now, my soul will be finally free." He sighed, and looked down at his hairy body. One of her tears splashed onto his cheek and he gave her a warm smile. "Thankyou, Serena." He smiled softly, but she could see the pain that it brought him.  
  
"What for?" She sobbed, her breaths short and quick.  
  
"Thankyou for warming my heart. For sharing with me a soul like your's." He fanned another smile. "Thankyou." He whispered one last time and then closed his soulful blue eyes.  
  
"No!" She cried and bent down to his chest, frantically searching for a heartbeat that was no longer there. "No, don't leave me. Please, I need you." She cried; her tears sparkled in the air like fairy dust. "Please, you mustn't leave me. Don't leave me! You hear me!" She shouted at him and beat down on his bloodied chest.  
  
There was nothing.  
  
"Please," She said softly, her hysteria turning into a mere whimper. "You can't leave me." Her honey breath soaked his face. "Please. I love you." She said and then delicately kissed his lips. "You hear me? I love you."  
  
Slowly, she let go of the wound and got up off the ground, leaving her one true love to lie motionless on the floor. The heartache was too much for her as she backed away from him.  
  
"Serena." She heard a voice call behind her. Frantically, she swung around, amazed at what she saw.  
  
A magical light had surrounded him, swirling around in the air. One by one, the hairs on his body disappeared, and his body twisted back into shape. His fingers and toes grew normal, and his face turned perfectly symmetrical. His entire being was bathed in one final blast of light, before disappearing and exposing a dashing black haired man in a tuxedo, lying in his place.  
  
"Serena." The handsome man smiled and scooped Serena up into his arms. "Serena, you did it."  
  
"Did what? Who are you?" She asked, looking deeply into his eyes, a familiar pair of soulful eyes staring back at her. "Beast?"  
  
"Yes," He blushed at her words. "You did it, my love, you broke the spell."  
  
She was dizzy from the constant rush of emotions. "But, but how?"  
  
"Because you loved me. Only a pure heart could love a beast, could see what was on the inside." She blushed momentarily as he started deeply into her. "Serena, I love you." He leant in to kiss her.  
  
"Wait." She said, interrupting their perfect moment. "What is your name?" She asked unexpectedly.  
  
He cleared his throat and held her tight. "I am prince Darien, of the Earth."  
  
"Hmm, Darien and Serena." She whispered for both their ears. "It sounds perfect."  
  
Slowly, he bent down and kissed her ruby lips, the two of them finally embracing each other. At that moment, their souls connected, and they knew that at long last, they would live blissfully forever after.  
  
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A.N. I wish to thank everybody who has reviewed this story. Without you, I would not have been able to finish. Thankyou. 


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